


Of Stables and Solace

by PunnyMints



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, F/M, One Shot, Puppy Love, huehuehue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24922828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunnyMints/pseuds/PunnyMints
Summary: In which Lorenz is unsure how to shoe a horse and a friend takes pity on him.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Lorenz Hellman Gloucester
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Of Stables and Solace

Lorenz sat up, rubbing his sore arse. “Ah.” He grimaced and stood, hand cupping the seat of his pants. The words that hissed out between his lips would have made any Glouster shudder with scandal. Not that he particularly cared about the Glousters at the moment, but he was still a noble. Lorenz exhaled and smoothed his long hair away from his face. The horse, the fiend that had just kicked him where the sun dare not shine, looked back at him. Dorte’s tail swished, and he knickered mockingly.

Groaning, Lorenz’s soreness began to stale. “You need new shoes. Stop.” 

Dorte didn’t move his eyes away from the noble in a challenge. I dare you, you purple haired pompous ass.

Frustration blossomed in the noble’s chest. A new sense of determination filled Lorenz, who picked up the hoof hammer. “Alright, Dorte, if it’s a battle you crave, it shall be a battle you get.” Lorenz walked towards the large horse. “Kindness didn’t get me anywhere last time.” Lorenz picked up the back leg, straddling the hoof between his thighs. Okay, good. Further than last time-

Lorenz felt Dorte shift forward. Oh no. Not again, not this again. He felt the hooves kick away from him and both of them plant directly onto his rump. Lorenz flew through the air, comically, and landed on the ground outside. He coughed up some dust that had coated his tongue. Lorenz rolled onto his back, groaning. “Dorte, you foul beast.” The words hissed out from between his lips, which were pressed together in pain.

He opened his eyes weakly, realizing the sun was blocked out by a feminine figure. He blinked again, harsher, moving his hand up to block the sun. When he realized who it was, his eyes widened in horror. 

“Marianne, I-” he sat up, quickly, trying to stand up, ignoring the straining soreness in his lower half. “I was just, well, I, I tripped, you see... “

Her brows arched as she watched the former noble stand to his feet, her pink lips twitching upwards in bemusement slightly. “Ah. Tripped, you say?”

Lorenz felt his face warm up, not unlike Ailell, because he felt tormented. Oh, no. Did she just witness that? The stallion knocking the mighty Lorenz Hellman Glouster off his feet and rising trimphantly? Would Marianne laugh and report back to all other Alliance nobels, as well as nobles in the kingdom and the Empire? He was supposed to be the bold, mighty leader of House Glouster, not a pitiful stable boy! Lorenz opened his mouth to confirm her words, but sealed them shut when Marianne giggled some.

What a blessed noise. Her nose wrinkled a tiny bit, but that little crinkle made Lorenz's heart soar. Whatever excuse he was about to make lived and died in his throat, and he swallowed and found his hand flying up to tuck long strands of hair behind his ear. 

"Oh, Lorenz." She smiled at him, a small but rewarding smile that made his pulse increase by a million percent. "You're a peculiar fellow."

His face felt even hotter. He tried to remind himself to cool down, a red face didn't look good with purple hair. "Peculiar- well, I wouldn't go that far." His voice dropped to a mumble, embarrassment increasing like the temperature in his face. "Just..."

Marianne reached over and brushed off his arm, touch light and soft and tender. Did she always smell this good? She smelled good. Like fresh hay and herbs and flowers. He liked that smell. He could smell it forever. "You were trying to help Dorte," her voice was soft as she looked around the stables to ensure their privacy. "I'm sure he really appreciated it."

"Well, I believe the key word was trying." Lorenz mumbled again, turning back to squint at the horse. "I'm just… I want to prepare him for battle."

"I understand." Marianne picked up the horse feed basket. "I came to do the same thing." Marianne, how perfect and kind and lovely and amazing and-

And everything Lorenz couldn't be. His floating heart sunk a little bit, suspicions of being inadequate spiking again. "I can do it."

"You tried thrice." Marianne clicked her tongue softly, having Dorte lower his muzzle into her tiny healing hands. "Allow me to assist, Lorenz."

"I don't need help." Lorenz insisted as he approached. He jumped back some when the horse flicked his back leg up some in a threat. "Watch it, horse." He mumbled the warning, stepping away and tossing his hair over his shoulder. Lorenz hoped he looked commanding at most and somewhat presentable at worst.

That giggle again! Marianne looped the bucket over the back of Dorte’s skull. “Lorenz, come over here.” She nodded her head towards the horse.

“I- no. That horse will-”

“Dorte.”

“Fine. Dorte will try to kill me.”

“No, he won’t.” Marianne walked over to Lorenz and gently took his arm, leading him to the beast. “Dorte just wants to get to know you better, that’s all.”

Lorenz Hellman Glouster almost fainted at her gentle guiding touch. A saint’s fingers! A goddess’ touch! He recovered quickly when he made eye contact with the horse, who raised his head back in a challenge. “To know me?” Lorenz eyed Dorte suspiciously. “I don’t… I’m not sure about that, Marianne.”

“It’s alright. Don’t make eye contact, it shows him humility.” Marianne stepped over and stroked Dorte’s long neck, talking softly, voice lilting as she murmured to the steed. “You must always respect the ones that treat us well. That goes for Lorenz and you, Dorte.” 

The horse snickered in complaint. Lorenz tensed and reached out to gently tug Marianne back when Dorte raised his head, long ears flicking. “Marianne, step back-”

Marianne reached back and gently touched Lorenz’s chest, which shocked him enough to loosen his grip. “Trust me, Lorenz. I know these horses well enough, you want to learn how to care for them, correct?” When he gave a hesitant nod, Marianne reached down and took his hand. 

His eyes shot down to her tiny hand on his. Those hands that did so much magic and healing were holding his large ones. His hands, which had once been smooth and soft from the privilege of nobility, were now calloused and roughened a little from the war and manual labor. It fascinated him, how gentle Marianne's held his with a spirit of compassion, despite his treatment of others in the past. His constant pestering of her in hopes she would be a suitable wife was forgotten to her now, or at least he supposed to, based on how tenderly she was smiling and guiding his hand to Dorte's snout-

Oh. Was she making him touch the beast? The thought sunk in, but it took far too long. Lorenz withdrew his fingers, but Marianne gently placed his hand over hers and laid her palm on Dorte's muzzle. The horse blinked and breathed steadily, eyes locked on Marianne, while Lorenz's did the same. Lorenz's heart was still thudding, leaving his lungs racing to catch his breath. After a (very long) moment of resting here, Marianne slowly moved her hand from under Lorenz's. "Keep it there," she whispered. "Be kind to him. You'll have to make him trust you in order to do anything to him." The girl moved away, picking up a rake and working away at the dirty hay in the stall.

Lorenz had been around this stable many times before- never to work, really just to take his horse and go or boss people around- yes he hadn't ever paid attention to it all. His first impression as a student had been 'Ew, gross, I'm not touching that hay, someone brush my horse's hair so I can go make tea and relax'. You know… like a spoiled bitch.

The hay that Marianne was laying out was a brilliant yellow, warm and crisp and smelled like a countryside. The windows were open and allowed the wind to whistle through them, creaking the doors of them and humming in the hay. The horses were all snickering in gentle conversation, tails flicking lazily as they eyed Marianne. Lorenz felt a smile tug at his mouth. Feelings of content rose in him, slowly, and he wondered if, perhaps, he could live here, with Marianne, away from the war and the others-

Dorte snorted and tugged his head up. He had just now noticed that the hand on him was Lorenz and not his beloved Marianne. Dorte wagged his head, side to side, but didn't nip or kick at the purple-haired intruder. Victory. 

Lorenz beamed and turned back to Marianne. "Marianne! Did you see? I-"

The horse nudged him in the back, knocking Lorenz into the hay Marianne had just spread out over Dorte's stall. Marianne gave a soft gasp and knelt down. "Lorenz! I'm so sorry!" She began brushing him off, swiping at his shirt and tugging him up. "Oh, it's all my fault, please don't be-" Her voice cut off, mid-babble, as Lorenz shook his shoulders and rolled his head back, a warm laugh rumbling from his throat as he pressed a hand to his forehead and ran it through his violet locks. 

Marianne watched for a moment, entirely dumbfounded. “Ah… Lorenz? You’re not mad or anything?”

“How could I be mad?” Lorenz snorted (yes, snorted!) as he sat up fully. “I’ve never been as fully happy as this. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Head tilting to the side, Marianne pulled her loose bangs aside so she should visibly blink cerulean eyes at him. “You haven’t? But aren’t you a calvary knight?”

“I am,” Lorenz confirmed softly as he leaned back on his hands. “However I never did the manual labor. It was always the job of someone else. I just rode the horse into battle and back, then showered and ate and went to bed.” He shrugged and looked up at Dorte, observing as the horse trotted back and forth on the other side of the stall, boastfully whinnying as he pranced. “But I wanted to learn horses better. I always viewed them as a tool in battle, I never thought of a purpose to delve into a deeper bond.”

Marianne pondered on his words for a moment. She chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second, glancing at Dorte before finally sinking into the soft hay next to her peer. “I never thought I could understand how anyone saw them that way, at least until I saw them in war.” Marianne crossed her arms and folded them around her knees. “They’re so powerful.”

“That is true. Majestic, loyal…” Lorenz cocked a brow at Dorte. “Well, at least, most of them are.”  
The horse didn’t stop or seem to get the double edge in Lorenz’s words.

Marianne laughed with Lorenz, slumping her cheek to her knees. “Oh, Dorte,” She sighed. “What a silly foal you are.”

“How old is he?”

“Seven, I think.” Marianne picked up a loose fiber of hay and rolled it between her fingers. “A good age for a good horse.” Her eyes focused on the golden strand, gentle gaze powerful. Lorenz loved that gaze, feeling very envious of the hay.

He cleared his throat, realizing that he had probably stared for too long. “Ah, yes, well, he still certainly has some fight left in him. Some energy.” 

“I’m certain he could fight the entire Imperial Army.”

The pair laughed softly, watching as the stallion eventually settled down and trotted to his trough to see what food Marianne had left. Marianne let go of the hay strand and leaned her head back on the wall. “I wish there was no war, Lorenz.” Her voice was quiet, but she had made it enough to where he could still hear her above the stable’s ambiance.

Lorenz inhaled. He wished that, too. He did. But he couldn’t avoid it. They were here, in the middle of it, and nothing could change that. “I know, Marianne.”

She groaned and looked up at the ceiling. “The goddess has blessed us with safety and her gratitude so far. I pray we remain in her favor.” She listened for Lorenz to respond, but he only had silence to say. “Lorenz? We are doing the right thing, right?”

“Of course we are.” Lorenz scooted back to lean on the wall next to Marianne. He pulled his hair over his shoulder to keep it from being between his back and stone. “If no one else has the courage to stop this war, who will? Edelgard will stop at nothing, she has already made that much apparent in the past five years.” Lorenz glanced at Marianne. “If you should ever want to leave-”

“No. I can’t.” Marianne’s tone was loud, too loud, as if she was unable to stop the words. She swallowed harshly. Her eyes remained plastered onto the ceiling above. She lowered her voice as she spoke. “If I leave, I will not be able to forgive myself. If I stay, I’m scared I’ll mess it all up again.”

“Again? Marianne, you cannot stop a fully-fledged war.”

“Maybe if we had been kinder to her-”

“Kinder? Marianne, everyone was kind to Edelgard. She chose to take this path. There was nothing we could do to stop it. Not you, not I, not even Seteth or Rhea.” Lorenz glanced over at her. “You did not, nor could ever do, anything wrong. Not in my eyes.”

Marianne’s voice was hoarse. “You’re wrong.”

“No, I am not. You’re kind and caring and so very… all-around lovely.” Lorenz could have gone on for years about her. She was intelligent, beautiful, gentle, and those were only scratching the surface. “Now, me. I am, well, if anyone were to mess up the whole war, it would be me, Lorenz Hellman Glouster.” The noble gestured towards himself. “I am spoiled. I am a brat. I am shallow, I am bossy and cruel-”

“Oh, Lorenz!” Marianne rocketed to her feet. “You are none of those!” Her outburst made her face go red, perhaps from exertion or embarrassment. “You were, at one point, I will admit. You were shallow and cold and snarky.” She exhaled as she paced. Dorte chortled in curiosity, but a glance from Marianne quieted him down. 

“And that is how I will forever be known,” Lorenz glanced down at the dirt on the ground. “I will be known as the most spoiled brute in history.”

Marianne waved an arm at him. “Oh, I was not finished.” She sunk down onto her knees in front of Lorenz. “Lorenz, you have grown. So much. That is the only word I have for what has happened. You see beyond our skin. You speak with compassion and authority, not condescending. Your guidance is needed and you have become so very admired. Lorenz,” Marianne took his hand lingering on his knee and clasped it between those two magical healing hands he yearned for. She looked up at him, eyes large, lips pressed together. “Look at who you have become.”

At first, Lorenz was surprised. His efforts… was he really better now? He certainly felt happier, he felt more needed and joyful and his peers seemed to enjoy his presence more than they once had. Five years of simply trying to be better had all really paid off?

He wasn’t quite sure what happened next. First, Lorenz was staring at Marianne squeezing his hands, and then his lips were pressed on hers, gently, hoping she could feel his prayer between them. What surprised him most was that she returned the prayer, her hands still holding his.


End file.
